1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of retinal vascular diseases. More specifically, the invention provides a method of treating retinal vascular diseases using compositions comprising at least one non-feminizing estrogens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Retinal or optic nerve head damage, which can result in the loss of vision, is caused by trauma and various pathological events including ischemia, hypoxia, or edema. Retinal or optic nerve head ischemia or hypoxia results when blood supply is significantly reduced to these tissues. Ischemia is a complex pathological episode involving numerous biochemical events. Retinal vascular diseases include retinal arterial obstructive diseases (which includes central retinal artery obstruction, branch retinal artery obstruction, cilioretinal artery obstruction, ophthalmic artery obstruction, combined central retinal artery and vein obstructions, cotton-wool spots), central retinal vein occlusion, and retinal branch vein occlusion.
Currently, numerous therapeutic modalities have been attempted to improve the vision of patients suffering from retinal vascular diseases. For retinal arterial obstructive diseases, anterior chamber paracentesis or intravenous acetazolamide can be employed in order to decrease intraocular pressure and increase retinal perfusion. Inhalation of oxygen-carbon dioxide mixture has been used to induce retinal vasodilation and increase oxygenation to retinal tissues. Sometimes, a direct infusion of a thrombolytic agent into the ophthalmic artery may help the recovery of vision. For retinal vein occlusions, careful evaluation is warranted, and prompt panretinal or sectoral laser photocoagulation may be needed for eyes that develop neovascularization. Unfortunately, all of these treatment modalities are accompanied with significant side effects, ocular and/or systemic. Thus, a satisfactory treatment regimen for improving vision in eyes with these retinal vascular disease is needed.